Yarn package protective adapter



July 10, 1962 A. A. BRAME ETAL 3,043,536

YARN PACKAGE PROTECTIVE ADA PTER Filed Dec.. 2, 1954 FIG.

FIG.3

FIG.7

w T NE WM NA R 8 A R U H T R A FRANK A. WILKINS ATTORNEY United Sates Patent 3,043,536 YARN PACKAGE PROTECTIVE ADAPTER Arthur A. Brame and Frank A. Wilkins, Greensboro, N.C., assignors to The Brame Textile Machine Co.,

Greensboro, N.C.

Filed Dec. 2, 1954, Ser. No. 472,618 3 Claims. (Cl. 242-128) The present invention relates to yarn packages and relates more particularly to an adapter for utilization with flanged bobbins, spools, pirns, headless bobbins, and other yarn receiving devices.

The introduction of nylon and other man-made fibers has required modifications to existing apparatus to accommodate new yarn properties. For example, when nylon is wound into yarn packages on flanged bobbins a crushing action occurs which deforms the conventional wood bobbin barrel and flanges resulting in unbalanced conditions during winding operations and presents additional non-uniform conditions during unwinding operations. Other malformations take place in headless bobbins, pirns, spools and other yarn receiving devices. Therefore, these winder elements are being made of metal, metal alloys or Bakelite and other more durable materials. However, innumerable minute surface irregularities such as scratches, nicks, machining marks, cracks and corrosion pits are produced during manufacturing or subsequent handling of the metallic or commonly known plastic yarn receiving elements. In creeling or warp preparation particularly where multifilament yarns of nylon, Dacronpolyester, Orlonacrylic, and other synthetic fibers or blends are employed broken filaments and slubs result quite readily when the compacted yarn package is being unwound and the yarn contacts a surface irregularity on the yarn receiving element.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a means for elemination of yarn contact with surface irregularities present on yarn packaging devices.

Another object of this invention is to provide a smooth wear resistant raceway for a yarn package device to cover surface irregularities during unwinding to reduce yarn drag and interference;

Still another object of this invention is to provide a yarn packaging device with a releasable cover member which will provide a spaced raceway to guide yarn as it is removed from the yarn package.

A further object of this invention is to guide a yarn being removed from a yarn package from contacting surface irregularities on flanged and flangeless bobbins.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a friction gripping means for holding a yarn protective cover member on a yarn package device.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention for reducing broken yarn filaments during winding operations will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art during the course of the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating one embodiment-of the present invention as applied to a flanged bobbin;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged front elevational view of the embodiment shown in FIG.'1 with a section removed at one end of the bobbin to illustrate the adaptation of the present invention in covering a flange;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a retaining clip applied to fasten a flange cover member to a flanged bobbin;

FIG. 4 is a perspective View of a yarn package formed on a headless bobbin with a modified embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged front elevational view of the headless bobbin yarn package of FIG. 4 with a section FIG. 6. i

. Referring to the drawings, the invention will be illustrated in each instance in combination with a yarn packaging device comprising a cylindrical or barrel type bobbin whether of the flanged or headless type and-it is more generally referred to in FIGS. 1 and 2 by the reference character 10. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 the flanged bobbin 11v comprises a tubular barrel 12 on which convolutions of a yarn 13- are wound to form a yarn package 14 and flanges or heads 15, 16 are mounted on the barrel 14 at opposite ends. Extending longitudinally through the barrel 12 is a hollow axle or shaft 17 which extends beyond the flanges 15, 16 and is used as a support for the bobbin during winding and unwinding operations; As shown in FIG. 1 the flanged bobbin 11 is supported at one end by a suitable holder or spindle 18 that is mounted on a vertical bar 19 which is only one of a series of vertical bars constituting a creel frame. These spool or bobbin holders may be made with a spring detent to engage the inside of the bobbin spindle so as to fix the bobbin firmly in position as the yarn is pulled off through a special comb to a warp beam (not shown). During creeling, as the yarn 13 is removed or ballooned from the yarn package 14 it will tend to cling or drag on the flange rim or periphery, This objectional drag will vary depending upon the angle formed by the yarn position on the package, the size of yarn package, and the exposed annular ring on the flange. In addition, any surface irregularities on the bobbin flange that the yarn contacts as it is being removed may cause broken filaments, slubs or other defects in the yarn which will ultimately be carried over to the woven or knitted fabric.

A circular flange protective adapter or cover member 20 having a rim 21 that projects axially from the plane of the cover member encloses the bobbin flange 15 and forms a guide raceway over which the yarn 13 may be drawn during unwinding. Since the adapter cover is preferably made of steel it may be heat-treated to produce a hardened rim portion which may be polished to remove any surface irregularities that may prove to be injurious to the fast traveling yarn. The rim 21 is rounded So that a crest 22 will be'formed on the rim to reduce any frictional and cutting effect which may be caused by a sharp edge on the rim.

The flange adapter or cover member 20 is provided with a central opening 23 through which the shart 17 may pass to be engaged by the spring clip member 24 which will releasably retain the cover 20 in position on the flanged bobbin during yarn unwinding. The spring clip member 24, clearly shown in FIG. 3, is substantially M-shaiped, and has side legs 25 and 26 that are bent to form attaching rings or loops 27 and 28, respectively, through which rivets 29' are passed to fasten the clip member to the Other fastening means such as:spot welding or screw type fasteners may be substituted for the rivets.

The intermediate section of the spring clip, a portion of which protrudes through the cover opening 23, forms.

a resilient loop 39 whichextends beyond the bent section of the legs 25 and 26 so as to project axially into frictional engagement with the interior of the shaft 17 and to'be retained therein. .It has been found desirable to provide the intermediate loop with a bulging portion 31 so that as the converging section 32 is forced into the end of the shaft the converging section will urge the bulging portion to be compressed slightly and the pointof frictional contactwith the shaft interior will be made by the bulging section only, as shown in FIG. 2. To facilitate bobbin indentification an opening 33 is provided through the cover so as to present identifying markings on a bobbin flange.

In warping operations, either before or after the flanged bobbins are mounted on the creel bobbin holders, a protective adapter cover 20' is placed over that bobbin flange which will be exposed on the open side of the creel, that is, the side from which the yarn will be removed. The yarn 13 ballooned from the package will then contact the smooth rim 21 on the cover rim, thus spacing it from the edge of the bobbin flange.

In a modification of the present invention, clearly i1- lustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, a headless bobbin or sleeve 35 is used to form a headless yarn package 36, sometimes referred to as a cheese. The convolutions of yarn on the. cheese are wound crisscross making it possible to build up a self-sustaining yarn package on the sleeve. Actually the width of the cheese is. narrower than the width of the sleeve 35 and therefore the shoulders 37 .of the sleeve are exposed. When the cheeses or headless bobbins are fixed in position on the spring holders 38 which are supported by the creel frame, the yarn 39 is removed from one end as shown in FIG. 5. Contact will normally be made with the sleeve edge 40. As surface irregularities on the sleeve are contacted by the unwinding yarn, broken filaments or other yarn defects may occur, particularly asthe yarn package diameter decreases and a greater are of sleeve contact is made.

To space a yarn being unwound from any sleeve surface irregularities a sleeve adapter 41 may be inserted into theend of the sleeve 35 to displace the yarn being unwound from contacting the sleeve edge 40. The adapter 41 comprises :a dished sleeve member having an outer rim section 42 and an inner sleeve engaging section 43. The outer rim section 42 forming the yarn raceway is arcuate and has a crest 45 over which the yarn 39 will pass as it is removed from the cheese. The arcuately shaped outer rim section has an overall diameter at least greater than the outside diameter of the sleeve 35 at the crest of the rim. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the radius of curvature of the rim besuch that the yarn will not contact any sharp edge and it is also within the contemplation of this invention that a beaded or rolled edge may be included in the term an arcuate rim. The inner sleeve engaging section 43 extends axially from and is concentric with the rim section 42 so that it may engage with the inner periphery 46 of the sleeve. In order to prevent a locking action between the adapter and the sleeve the inner sleeve engaging section 43 is provided with circumferentially spaced longitudinal slits 47. thereby forming individual resilient fins or prongs 48 which will friotionally engage :with the sleeve interior without a locking action. It has been found suitable in some applications to taper the inner section 43 and to turn the prong ends inwardly so that the sleeve adapter may be centered Without difliculty in the sleeve 35. Although FIG. illustrates the adapter seatedagainst the sleeve edge 40 a gap therebetween is not objectionable.

To facilitate sleeve adapter insertion and removal a handle member or transverse bar 49 may be inserted in the rounded out rim. section, as clearly shown in FIG. 5.

In FIGS. 6 and 7, there is depicted another modification of the present inventions as applied to a tubular pirn 50 on which a yarn package may be formed. The conventional pirn has a metallic cap 51 attached to the end of the pirn tube 50 to prevent fraying. A circumferential recess 52 is usually formed 'at the juncture therebetween, that is, where the cap is crimped to the pirn. However, some caps are provided with a slight circumferential indentation intermediate the end.

"A cover member or pirn sleeve adapter 53 may be I dished out to provide'a rounded raceway rim 54 which has an outside diameter greater than the pirn diameter so that as a yarn is removed from the cylindrical tube 50 it will contact the rim adjacent the crest portion 55. The pirn end or cap engaging section 56 is concentric with the rim section and encircles the end of the pirn cap. An expansible split circular clip 58 is inserted into the recess 59 formed by the rounded rim 54 so that as the adapter is placed over the end of the pirn cap, the clip 58 will be spread initially to accommodate the end of the cap and as the adapter 53 is moved further onto the pirn cap, the clip will contract and be seated in the recess 52 to releasably lock the adapter on the pirn.

Although the end section 56 may be turned inwardly to provide an end stop 57 to limit axial movement of the cover it may not be utilized whenever a cap is provided with an intermediate circumferential indentation.

It is within the contemplation of this invention that the protective adapters of each modification may be heattreated to harden the adapters and also to hard-chrome plate them, as well as to polish the yarn engaging rim sections so that a fine microfinish will be obtained to remove surface irregularities that may be injurious to the yarn and also to reduce any yarn drag.

Obviously many modifications and variations may be made in the construction and arrangements of the rim positions and the resilient attachment members in the li ht of the above teachings without departing from the real spirit and purpose of this invention. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims many modified forms of structure as well as the use of mechanical equivalents may be reasonably included and modifications are contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. For use in the combination of a spool having end flanges ailixed to a hollow barrel and a flange cover member having a rim extending over the flange periphery, a spring wire clip, substantially M-shaped, attached to the cover member adjacent the flange so that the rim encloses a spool flange periphery, said clip having foreshortened outer leg members for attachment to the cover member and an intermediate resilient loop extending between and spaced from said leg members and lying in the same plane therewith, said loop being received within the hollow barrel to releasably engage with the barrel in terior.

2. For use in the combination of a spool having an end flange aflixed to a hollow barrel on which a yarn package is formed and a cover member having a rim extending over the flange periphery, a spring wire clip, said clip having foreshortened outer leg members, each of said leg members being turned to form an end loop to receive a fastener therein, an intermediate resilient loop extending between and spaced from said leg members and lying in the same plane therewith, said loop being elongated to be received within the hollow barrel to releasably and frictionally engage with the barrel interior.

3. In combination with a bobbin'having flanges aflixed to a tubular barrel on which a yarn package is formed by convolutions of yarn and a cylindrical bobbin shaft extending axially through the bobbin and reaching beyond at least one of the flanges, a cover member for enclosing the periphery of one of said flanges and having a bobbin shaft receiving opening therein, said cover member comprising a dished disk having an arcuate hardened and polished metallic rim projecting from the plane of the disk a suflicient distance to enclose the flange periphery, and additionally said rim having a crest portion to form a guide raceway for yarn as it is removed from the bobbin barrel, and a spring wire clip substantially M-shaped mounted in juxtaposition to the shaft receiving opening in the cover member, said wire clip extending through said opening to releasably and frictionally engage the interior of the cylindrical shaft. to support the cover member on the bobbin flange during yarn removal.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hayes Feb. 1, 1921 Wardwell June 12, 1934 Clinton Mar. 26, 1940 Bliss Oct. 31, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Australia Sept. 22, 1942 

